The Line Between
by Follow-ur-Shadow
Summary: Sequel to ‘The Space Between.’ When a mission goes wrong Sam and Cam try to work out where the line lies between their personal and working relationship but will trying to keep the balance, end up risking one of their lives? Sam/Cam
1. Chapter 1

**The Line Between**

**Category:** Action/Angst/Romance/Drama

**Pairing:** Sam/Cam

**Summary:** Sequel to 'The Space Between.' When a mission goes wrong Sam and Cam try to work out where the line lies between their personal and working relationship but will trying to keep the balance, end up risking one of their lives?

**Warnings: **None

**Disclaimer:** Own nothing, nadda, zip and zilch!

**Author's** Notes: Okay, so I've finally got the draft down for the sequel. Now it's just a matter of staying motivated enough to fine tune and post chapters! Wish me luck :D

* * *

Sam tapped her pen lightly on the table as she counted the number of empty spaces on the page in front of her. Though the crossword in Science Daily was basic, at least compared to her extensive knowledge, it did serve as a useful tool to kick start her brain in the mornings.

Frowning slightly, she drew her knees up onto the chair and took hold of her coffee, taking a sip. She knew the answer but like most of the information she'd learnt in her early days of studying it had been buried to make room for the surge she'd received since joining Sg-1.

'Showers all yours...' Cam ran a hand through his damp hair as he entered the kitchen, smiling when he realized she wasn't listening. 'Sam..?'

'By nineteen twenty-eight George _someone _had solved the theory of the alpha decay of a nucleus via tunneling.' She bit down on the lid of her pen thoughtfully, 'Five letters?'

Cam shook his head as he tightened the towel around his waist.

If she was asking for _his_ help then she was obviously far too engrossed in the puzzle.

'I don't know Sam…' He moved behind her, resting his hands against the chair she was sitting on. 'But have I mentioned that I find it incredible sexy when you do your sciency stuff wearing nothing but my shirt?'

She smiled, letting her attention momentarily lapse from the problem. 'Somehow I don't think Landry would approve of me wearing this to work.'

'Oh I don't know…' He leant forward, dropping a kiss against her neck. 'I can guarantee he wouldn't ask you to take it _off_…'

Placing her coffee on the table she laughed at him, 'Who knows, he might like…'

Cam slapped his hand over her mouth before she could go any further. 'Whatever you're gonna say, don't! I _so_ don't need those images of Landry in my head at this time of the morning.'

Her eyes shone with amusement as she nodded and he reluctantly released his hold on her.

'You want some breakfast?' He asked moving into the kitchen.

'Pancakes...?'

She raised her eyebrows hopefully and he smirked as he reached down into her cupboard to get the ingredients ready. 'Are they the only reason you keep me around?'

'Not the only reason…' She closed the magazine on the table, placing her pen down on the cover. 'Probably the main one…'

'Well at least I know I'm not expendable...' He waved the fry pan he was holding in her direction, 'Cause I know you're never gonna be able to cook.'

'_Hey_!' She instinctively went to argue but the protests died on her lips as she watched him.

It hadn't really occurred to her before but he knew his way around the small kitchen, knew exactly where everything was kept. Another light frown graced her features as she idly wondered when that had happened.

'How long have we…'

She stopped feeling like she really ought to know the answer but he'd already guessed the question.

'Nearly three months…' He replied, cracking two eggs into a bowl. 'And this is the twenty-third time I've made you pancakes.'

She stood up, her lips twisting into a smile as she moved into the kitchen and slipped her arms around his waist. 'I like this…'

'I _know_.' He stated matter of factly. 'That's why I keep making them.'

'Not the pancakes.' She leant her head against his shoulder taking in the soft scent of his aftershave. 'I like you in my house, knowing where stuff is…'

'Oh…' He reached for the milk trying to be subtle as he began mixing it in, 'You know I could be here all the time if we told the others about us…'

She let out a sigh, wishing she had the same amount of confidence in their friends reactions that he did. She wanted to tell them, she really did… she just didn't want to ruin what they already had.

Cam felt her move away and he abandoned the batter he was making to turn and face her. 'Sam, there's no pressure okay? Whenever you're ready we'll tell them.'

She smiled lightly as he pulled her into a hug. 'I'm sorry… '

'You've got nothing to be sorry for.' He dropped a soft kiss against her hair, 'There's no rush.'

'Thank you.'

After a few moments she reluctantly pulled away, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. 'I'm going to go take a shower.'

'_Sam_…' He grabbed her hand before she could leave and stepped forward giving her a propper kiss. Instantly she relaxed against him and when they eventually broke for air he was glad to see her smiling fully this time.

'Be quick, pancakes will be ready in ten…'

She nodded before dashing out of the room and he turned back to the stove turning on the heat.

It didn't matter that they were keeping their relationship a secret. In a way it was even nice, having something that was just their's… and though there would definitely be perks to having it out in the open, it was something he was content to wait for.


	2. Chapter 2

'_Jackson_, wait up!'

Cam jogged the short distance, catching up to his friend and removing some of the books that were stacked up obscuring his vision.

Daniel shifted readjusting the lighter load in his arms. 'Thanks. You on your way to the briefing?'

'Yeah.' He nodded, glancing down at the covers in his hand. 'Please tell me you're not bringing these for show and tell?'

Daniel shook his head only wishing that were the case. Their next mission unfortunately had nothing to do with his field of expertise and while Sam may enjoy digging through soil samples, he would much rather be on earth catching up on his research. 'I'm just dropping these off...'

Cam felt relieved as they slowed outside the door to his lab but the feeling didn't last long due to the next words that came out of the archeologist's mouth.

'So, I went to see you on the weekend…'

'Really?' Cam scratched the side of his face as he moved into the room, trying to appear casual as he placed the books down on the bench. 'I must have been out…'

'Doing anything special?' Daniel sat his own pile of texts on the table, trying not to make it look obvious he was fishing for information. Usually he wouldn't have though anything of it but an interesting conversation with Cam's neighbor had stirred his interest.

'No…' He coughed trying to shake the squeakiness from his voice, '_No_, not really…'

It was a lie, one that clearly Daniel wasn't buying into but somehow it was still better than admitting what he'd really been doing, or rather what he and Sam had been doing.

'It's okay Cam, I know. Vala told me…'

It was kind of the truth. Vala had told him a few months ago that there was someone he'd been interested in and even though lately she'd been convinced that person was someone a little closer to home, he still had yet to make up his own mind on the sincerity of that claim.

He'd noticed the subtleties changing between his two friends and while he found it hard to believe they were physically involved, a little prodding couldn't go astray.

'So, anything you want to share?'

'I ahh...um…' His mind whirled as he tried to work out how Vala knew and more importantly how to dig himself out of the hole rapidly collapsing around him. They couldn't possibly have guessed, not when he and Sam had been so careful.

'It's _not_ what you think...'

'_Really_? So you're not seeing an old high school flame?' It was a cover to gauge his reaction and Daniel raised an eyebrow as he flustered, wondering if perhaps Vala's instincts were as good as she so often praised them to be.

Cam tried to remain calm as the sudden clarity of the situation hit him with full force and he cursed himself for being so stupid. Sam had even told him personally of the rumor going around and he couldn't believe he'd missed making the connection.

'No, well… I mean it's complicated. We're still working through stuff, you know?'

Daniel nodded his head very slowly.

Although the conversation hadn't denied or confirmed anything close to the truth, it had given something to mull over. It would be an ample way to occupy his mind at least till he could quizz Sam.

'Come on, we should get to the briefing.'

Not wanting to give him time to change his mind and ask more questions, Cam followed him out the door only half convinced he'd dodged a bullet. Whether they were ready or not he had a feeling they weren't going to be able to keep their friends in the dark for much longer...


	3. Chapter 3

'Well, this is _different_…' Cam stepped out of the gate casting his eyes over the unfamiliar planet.

The images from the M.A.L.P had shown them what to expect but nothing compared to actually seeing it in person. The entire ground was covered with rivulets and while some only ran with a few centimeters of water others looked like they were at least a few meters deep.

There was enough land to walk on but stepping stones had been laid out along various points to make crossing the junctions easier.

'Hope you brought a spare change of clothes Jackson.'

Cam began making his way down the stairs descending from the gate while Vala nudged Daniel in the ribs, 'He said that cause he thinks you're going to fall in.'

Daniel rolled his eyes at the obvious statement and Sam couldn't help but smile as she walked past them forming her own assessment of the place.

It was certainly unique, no doubt about that.

The rivers all connected somewhere along the way and flowed down into a thick forest a few meters ahead of them. The M.A.L.P had been unable to get a visual through the dense tree line but it was her belief that the waterways all converged at one point, though that wasn't the most intriguing part.

Although the channels didn't look man made they were all flowing in different directions which suggested it was some sort of magnetic phenomena pulling them along. That alone was enough of a reason for her to request Sg-1 take the mission…

'Okay Sam…' Cam moved back as far as he could without stepping into water so she could take point, 'Lead the way.'

Pulling out her compass, she frowned as the needle spun continuously around without stopping. 'That's strange…'

'What is that?' Vala hovered over her shoulder looking at the small object, 'Is it meant to do that?'

'It's called a compass. It points in a designated direction so you always know which way to go.' Daniel appeared by her side a moment later, also intrigued by the way it was spinning. 'And no, it's not meant to do that.'

'Sam?' Cam raised and eyebrow, wondering if they should be concerned but she just shook her head.

'We should be okay. The M.A.L.P didn't pick up any strange magnetism in the atmosphere, so wherever it's being emitted from it shouldn't be dangerous.' She stepped forward starting to make her way carefully across the first river, the rest of her team not far behind.

* * *

It took longer than expected, due to the constant need to slow down and clamber across the waterways but after nearly an hour of walking they came to the spot Sam had been looking for.

'Wow…'

She knelt down in front of the large body of water that stretched out separating them from the other side of the planet. Width ways it was surprisingly narrow, less than a metre wide to cross but looking down it was at least a six metre drop.

The surprising part however, was that beyond the crevice the ground was completely even.

Not a drop of water in sight.

'Guess the trail ends here…' Cam bent down beside her, frowning as his gaze fell on one of the small channels between them. 'Uh, Sam…'

She turned her head, immediately aware of what he was referring to. One of the smaller rivulets was indeed running up and out of the waterway which according to everything she knew about gravity was impossible.

'I'm going to need to take some samples from here, you guys want to see what's on the other side?'

Cam nodded slightly, not particularly fond of the idea of leaving her alone.

'Vala and I'll will go check it out. You two,' He motioned towards Daniel, 'Let us know if you find anything else…'

It was moments like this he wished he had Teal'c for a little extra back up but due to the scientific nature of the mission, the large alien had decided his time was better spent on Chulak. It wasn't an overly big deal and he figured he was probably just being paranoid but milk runs were usually the missions they got into the most trouble on.

'Well, lets get going then?'

Vala stood with her hands on her hips expectantly and he just shook his head as she moved past him jumping over the large drop. 'Come on!'

With a sigh, he followed after her trying not to look down as he crossed over. He wasn't worried about the drop but something about the way the water flowed in _and_ out of the river unsettled him.

As they headed off through the trees, Daniel tried to keep the concern out of his voice as he turned back to Sam. 'They're not going to get into any trouble right?'

She smiled lightly, unclipping her pack and pulling out its contents. 'I'm sure they'll be fine.'

'Right…' He nodded watching her unpack her equipment and after a moment he sat down on a reasonably dry patch of grass beside her, 'Need help?'

'Yeah thanks.' She handed him a rack of test tubes and some swabs.

They'd been working together for long so long now she didn't need to explain what to do and a comfortable silence settled between them as she began taking her readings. It was nice, or at least it would have been had he kept it up.

'So… I went to see Cam on the weekend.' He filled up one of the test tubes as he spoke, trying to sound as casual as possible. 'Thought I'd take round a beer and watch the game with him…'

'Really?' She tried to act surprised as she fussed about with her equipment.

She knew Cam wouldn't have been home but she refused to let on to that fact. 'I thought you hated football?'

'I do… but he said he wasn't doing anything so I figured, why not?' He watched her reaction carefully but to her credit she wasn't letting anything slip. 'It was the strangest thing though… he wasn't home and as I was leaving I ran into his neighbor, said she hadn't seen him around lately.'

Something about the inflection of his tone caused her stomach to knot and it was with a sickly realization that she came to the conclusion he'd figured them out.

Lowering her head, she stopped to write down some notes trying her best not to appear phased. 'We have been off-world a lot lately, maybe they're just missing each other…'

'Maybe...' He hesitated slightly, securing the test tube back in it's rack. 'You don't think he's seeing someone?'

'Well…Vala did say there was someone, high school crush or something.'

Sam was proud of the quick response and that it was mostly believable but unfortunately the feeling didn't last long.

'Yeah that's what I thought, so I asked him about it. It was weird though, cause I didn't mention her name and I think he thought I was talking about someone else…'

Bingo.

Her face flushed and he knew he had her beat.

It was strange thinking of his two friends together especially because they were keeping it so well hidden but despite his previous reservations, he majored in a subject that required him to observe how people interacted. The signs had all been there; sneaking glances when they thought no one was looking, anticipating each other's reactions more, even just the way they'd become more casual around each other…

It was all there and now he'd put the pieces together, he was just waiting for one of them to admit it.

'It's _you_ isn't it?'

Sam froze not sure how to respond. She knew there was no point denying it; the man was like a human lie detector...

'Sam..?'

He pushed again and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath, 'Yeah... it's me.'

'Wow.' Daniel fiddled with his glasses letting the admission sink in. Hearing her say it was just… '_Wow_.'

'I'm so sorry.' She scrubbed a hand across her face feeling guilty. She hadn't wanted him to find out like this, like it was something they'd been deliberately keeping from him.

'I wanted to tell you, I just wasn't sure how you'd react and we both wanted to wait, make sure it was worth the risk before making a big deal about it…'

'And is it?' The question came out rather bluntly and thought he regretted not using a little more tact, he didn't regret asking.

He knew with out a doubt Sam wasn't the type to rush into something without thinking it through first but he was worried that because of Jack she may not have put everything in perspective. They'd cared for each other a lot and he'd witnessed how destructive those feelings could be at times.

He didn't want her making new mistakes in order to rectify old ones.

'You know when you were a kid and you took your training wheels of your bike for the first time?'

Although he wasn't really sure where she was going with the analogy he was intrigued none the less, 'Yeah...'

'Well, I cried for three days until my dad pretty much told me to suck it up and just get on the damn thing.' She smiled lightly recalling the memory, 'So I did and you know that feeling when everything's fantastic until you realize at some point you need to stop?'

He nodded, his own experience of a broken fence and seven stitches coming to mind.

'That's kind of how he makes me feel everyday…' Sam glanced down at her hands, realizing how cheesy it sounded but Daniel seemed to find the reassurance he was looking for because he smiled, picking up another test tube and filling it with water.

'You could've told me…'

'Honestly? I think deep down I figured you already knew…' She set down her notebook reaching for the glass slides in her kit, 'Remember the function a few months back? You asked me if there was something you should know?'

He shifted recalling the night. He had thought at the time they'd been somewhat awkward around each other but that was months ago…

'How long have you two…?'

'That night.' She flushed slightly recalling the evening, 'And the next morning you knocked on my door and asked where Cam was…'

'Oh my god…' He slapped his forehead, as if it was obvious. 'Vala said… she said and I told her she was being ridiculous.'

Sam's eyes widened slightly and the mention of their other team mate, 'So that's how everyone knows?'

'Not _everyone_…' He laid emphasis on the word, feeling the sudden need to defend the women.

It wasn't like she deliberately set out to hurt people, she just had a problem with keeping her mouth shut at times. 'And besides it had to come out sooner or later…'

Sam sighed knowing he was right and another bout of silence fell over them.

It wasn't awkward but every now and then she would catch his eye and it was obvious he was still turning the information over in his mind trying to decide how he felt about it. After another ten minutes went by, she opened her mouth to try and reassure him that nothing was going to change but her radio crackled into life first.

'Guys…' Cam sounded out of breath as his voice cut through the static. 'Heads up, we've got trouble.'

Sam frowned, already beginning to put away her equipment as she pressed the button to respond. 'What sort of trouble?'

She shared a concerned look with Daniel when the next words she caught were, angry and locals…

As quickly as possible, she finished packing away her things and zipped up her bag slinging it over her shoulder. 'We should try and find them…'

Daniel nodded not particularly fond of the idea of returning to the gate without them. He knew they were both perfectly capable but sometimes skill compared to sheer numbers just wasn't enough.

'Let's go...'

It took them less than ten minutes heading in the direction their teammates had last been seen in, before Daniel rounded a tree and literally rammed into their leader.

'Ow! _Jackson_…' Cam rubbed his arm gingerly at the sudden contact, 'What are you two _still_ doing here?'

'Though you could use some help.' He readjusted his glasses, following as they took off at a jog towards the gate. 'What the hell happened anyway?'

Cam stopped suddenly as Sam halted in front of him to climb over a fallen tree and he placed his hand on the back of her pack to steady himself. 'Well, we found the big honking hole where all the water ends up.'

'You could've mentioned it was _sacred_.' Vala piped up as Cam helped her over the log next and Sam shot her an incredulous look.

'And how exactly was _I_ meant to know that?'

Vala shrugged her shoulders as Daniel appeared a moment later beside her, 'Lets just say they got a little upset when we went to take a look.'

'A _little_…' Cam was the last one over and he motioned for them to keep moving with a wave of his arm, 'Did you not _see_ those fireball bombs they were throwing at us.'

She shuddered, recalling how close one of them had landed to them her leg. Although on the outside they looked similar to a goa'uld shock grenade, the blast they emitted was about a hundred times stronger and the origin was different to anything she'd ever seen before.

Reaching the place they'd originally split up from, Vala immediately slowed her speed.

There was no way they were going to be able to navigate their way back quickly over all the channels of water but lucky for them she and Cam had managed to give them a bit of head start. 'We did manage to hold our own though, slow them down a bit.'

'And how exactly did you manage that.' Daniel asked carefully stepping over the drop of water, not sure he really wanted to hear the answer.

'Oh, well… you know…' Cam waved his hand as if it was no big deal. 'We blew up their _sacred_ bridge which was apparently their only way out of the village. Figured it'd buy us enough time to get back to the gate and then some…'

Sam inwardly winced at the fact that if they were pissed before, there was no way she was going to be able to come back and get more samples now... 'Did you really have to go and….'

She stopped short as a loud whistling cut through the air and jumped when a foreign object landed not nearly a metre from where they were walking.

Cam's eye's widened as he instantly recognized the small ball, 'Everybody get…!'

The object exploded and the force threw him backwards before he could finish, sending him into a nearby tree. There was a loud crack as his head took the impact and his last conscious thought was the vague impression of wetness as his body slipped into unconsciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Cam groaned as he slowly started to come around, wincing as pain shot through his senses.

'_Shit_…'

Shifting in attempt to ease the pounding in his head, he cursed as his hand came into contact with wetness and his eyes shot open blinking rapidly at the harsh light. A wave of dizziness hit but he stubbornly ignored it, instead forcing himself up and out of the shallow rivulet currently submerging his lower half.

Shaking off the water, he stumbled over to Vala who was lying nearest to him and bent down to check for a pulse.

He sighed with relief as he felt the strong pressure thudding beneath his fingers. She had a couple of scrapes, no doubt some unseen bruises but it seemed as a whole she had faired a lot better than he had.

A groan to his left alerted him to Daniel's presence and he turned calling out to the man, '_Jackson_, you okay?'

'Yeah… I think so.' He felt around locating his glasses and placing the cracked frames over his eyes, 'You?'

'I'm okay…' His voice sounded distracted as he scanned the area for the fourth member of their team. 'Vala's fine, just unconscious.'

Daniel craned his neck working out the kinks before slowly standing up and moving over to the spot where Cam was kneeling. 'What about Sam?'

He shook his head, a frown appearing on his face as he stood up switching places with the anthropologist.

'Sam!'

He clambered over the uneven ground, flinching as the movement jolted his throbbing head. He had no idea how the hell they'd managed to get one of those fire things airborne but he didn't practically want to hang around to see if there were anymore.

'_Carter_!' He called out again, bracing himself against a tree as his eye's scanned the area and a feeling of panic rose when he spotted her seconds later.

Like him she'd landed in one of the smaller rivers but while for him it had just been a source of discomfort, she'd ended up in a far more dangerous predicament; lying face down.

'_Sam_!'

He was by her side in an instant, dropping to his knees and rolling her out of the water. He wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious for but he did know it only took minutes for someone to drown.

'Daniel, over here!'

His body switched to auto pilot as checked for a pulse, only slightly relieved when he felt the sluggish movement under her skin. It was there but it was far too slow and he let his hand fall over her mouth, resisting the urge to panic further when he didn't feel anything.

'What happened?' Daniel hovered over him, concern evident in his features.

Something was wrong… he could tell by the fear lacing his friends voice not to mention the pale women lying in his arms.

'She's not breathing.' Cam moved her so she was flat on the ground and Daniel's eyes widened as his friend started CPR.

This was bad. _Really_ bad.

Her lips were starting to turn blue and despite words of encouragement, she didn't seem to be responding.

'Come on Sam, _breathe_…'

Cam pressed down on her chest willing her to obey. He wasn't going to lose her, not now and not like this.

Keeping in rhythm, he held her nose while blowing in her mouth once, twice, three times before his hands were back pushing over her heart. He repeated the process over and over ignoring the tears of frustration blurring his vision as he bent down trying to force air back into her lungs.

Daniel felt movement beside him and turned pulling Vala instinctively into his arms. She was still unsteady on her feet and he gripped her tightly unable to watch the scene any longer.

'Breathe_ damnit_!'

Cam's voice was filled with desperation and he'd never been so relieved in his life when she coughed suddenly, expelling water from her lungs. Rolling her onto the side, he used all his remaining energy to keep from collapsing next to her as she gagged violently.

He was exhausted and his head was pounding but he kept a firm hand against her shoulder for support. Even when Daniel moved to take over the sound of foliage rustling somewhere close was an quick reminder he couldn't rest just yet.

'You hear that?' Daniel asked keeping as quiet as possible. He guessed that however long they'd been unconscious for, it had been enough time for the villagers to find an alternate way outside their village.

Cam nodded, trying to gather as much strength as possible.

There was no way they could out run them, not with Sam still being out of it… which left only one other option. 'You need to get her back to the gate while I create a distraction…'

Daniel shook his head immediately disliking the plan.

He realized that they didn't have a whole lot of options but what his friend was suggesting was simply absurd. 'You can barely stand up. If anything I should be the one to…'

'Look...' Cam cut him off knowing they didn't have time to argue. 'Someone needs to carry Sam, I can't do that neither can Vala….'

Daniel glanced at Vala, who regretfully shook her head indicating he had a point. Realistically he knew it was the only chance they had of making it back unharmed but he still sighed hesitantly, hating the idea of leaving someone behind. 'You sure about this?'

'Yeah… help me up would you?' He reluctantly let go of Sam, using Daniel's arm to pull himself off the ground. 'I'll keep em' busy as long as I can.'

Trying not to wince he started off in the direction the sounds were coming from, pausing briefly when he heard Daniel's voice call out to him.

'_Hey_…'

Daniel crouched beside Sam, getting ready to lift her up. 'See you back at the SGC.'

'Better have a beer ready...'Cam smiled lightly, feeling a renewed boost of confidence.

It was comforting to know that they wouldn't just leave him behind. Permission or not, they'd be back and Sg-1 had an amazing ability to defy the odds.

He just hoped this wasn't the mission their abundance of luck finally ran out.


	5. Chapter 5

Daniel hovered outside the infirmary door trying not to flinch as he listened to the heated argument going on inside. Carolyn had called about five minutes ago to inform him Sam was awake and now he was starting to regret his decision to ask the doctor to wait so he could fill Sam in about Cam's situation himself.

With a sigh, he glanced down at his watch. The rescue mission was due to depart soon, which meant he needed to get this over and done with as quickly as possible.

Stepping hesitantly into the infirmary he watched Sam visibly relaxed as she caught sight of him.

'Daniel, _thank god_… Are you okay? What happened?'

He moved beside her bed trying to break the news as gently as possible. 'I'm fine, Vala's fine but Cam, well… we're still waiting to hear from him.'

She frowned in confusion, letting her gaze falling over his gear. Obviously he was getting ready to ship out and her mind was going a hundred miles per hour trying to fill in the missing pieces. 'Waiting to hear… Daniel what did he do?'

He knew she wasn't going to like the answer but also that there was little point in trying to cover it up. She was far too stubborn and he doubted she wouldn't accept anything less than the truth.

'He ahh… stayed behind to create a distraction while we got back to the gate.'

The information wasn't all that surprising but still Sam screwed her eyes shut, sagging down into the bed. She'd known something was wrong from the moment she'd woken up and her suspicions had only been furthered when the doctor had refused to comment on her other team members.

'Please tell me he didn't...' She rubbed her temple, trying to ease the tension building.

She had no idea if he was hurt, injured… even still alive and it made her feel sick.

'Sam, try not to worry.' He layed his hand against her arm in a comforting fashion, 'We're going to find him, okay?'

The rational side of her brain said to trust him but she couldn't just sit around and wait, doing nothing. 'I want to go with you.'

'You're in no condition to be going anywhere.' Carolyn stepped forward, folding her arms across her chest.

While she was prepared to tolerate a lot with the number one team there were certain limits and she had no problem pulling rank if it came down to it. Although Sam's vitals were picking up, she'd been unconscious for nearly six hours and as well as some cracked ribs she had a nasty concussion.

'Both of you…' She motioned towards Daniel, 'Should be taking it easy.'

Daniel deliberately ignored the doctors comment giving Sam a reassuring smile. 'We'll be back before you know it.'

She reluctantly nodded and he gave her arm one last squeeze before leaving.

Truth was, they should've heard something by now and it left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. At the top of his game, their leader was more than capable of taking care of himself but the condition he'd been in when Daniel had last seen him, hadn't been a good one.

'_Daniel_…'

He turned as Vala caught up to him, keeping the fast pace as they made the corridor. 'How was she?'

'Pretty pissed off….' He tried to make light of the situation, glad when the women smiled slightly in response.

Although she hadn't vocalized it, he could see she was still shaken up by what they'd witnessed on the planet. Even though they weren't the best of friends she and Sam had become quite close lately, bonding over the fact they were the only females on the team.

'You think he's okay?' Her words were hushed as they entered the gateroom and his focus shifted to the large alien device that stood in front of them.

Fortunately he was saved from answering as the Generals voice cut through the speakers from the control room.

'Tread lightly people. We don't want to exacerbate the situation any more than we already have.'

Daniel nodded acknowledging the words and turned to the Colonel leading sg-12 who had volunteered his team for the rescue mission. 'You ready?'

The man gripped his gun firmly in his hands. 'Let's do this.'

'Uh Sir….' In the control room Walter started typing on the keyboard as the signal on the monitor in front of him changed suddenly. 'We've got an incoming wormhole.'

The gate started spinning and Daniel glanced up at the glass windows curiously.

'IDC?' Landy raised his eyebrows hopefully and the technician nodded.

'Sg-1 Sir.'

He reached forward slapping his palm down on the intercom as the gate whooshed into life, 'This is general Landry… identify yourself'

For a moment there was just static, then to everyone's relief they heard the sound they'd all been waiting for.

'Colonel Mitchell Sir, I'm clear… permission…to…come through.'

His voice sounded strained and the General couldn't help feeling worried as he responded.

'Permission granted, son.' He turned to the man beside him, 'Open the iris and I want a medical team here now!'

Daniel's eyes widened slightly as Cam's bloody form stumbled through the gate and he rushed forward as the man collapsed to his knees on the ramp.

'Are you okay?' He placed a hand on his friends arm as he struggled to catch his breath.

'Yeah… _lost them_… waited till... was dark.'

Daniel nodded trying to make sense of the broken sentence but ultimately just glad he was okay. 'You did good.'

Cam swallowed, trying to keep the room from spinning. 'Sam?'

'She's fine…' He patted the man on the back lightly, hoping the med team wouldn't be much longer. 'Woke up about ten minutes ago.'

An overwhelming sense of relief flowed through him and he no longer cared about trying to stay upright. Everything hurt too much to even think and he slumped back against the metal grate finally allowing his body the rest it was demanding.

He passed out just as the doctor burst through the door and Daniel moved out of the way to give her team better access. The wounds looked mostly superficial and he suspected his team mate was just exhausted but his worry wasn't full alleviated until the doctor finished checking him over.

'He's pretty battered but it doesn't look like there's any internal damage.' She stood up as they loaded him onto a gurney. 'As for you now your team's home, I want you to get some rest.

Daniel nodded as they left, all too happy to oblige. The adrenaline he'd been relying on to keep going was starting to fade and the urge to sleep was becoming hard to resist.

Yawning, he was vaguely aware of Vala beside him as his feet shuffled towards the exit.

The Doctor was right. His team was home, safe and that was all the incentive he needed to go to his bed and stay there for the next three weeks…


	6. Chapter 6

Sam sat beside Cam's bed holding his hand gently, trying to sort through the swell of emotions she'd been feeling since first waking up.

After the discovery of alternate realities she couldn't help but wonder sometimes what different lives she might be leading and right now she couldn't shake the thought that somewhere out there, there was a version of herself that had just lost one of the most important people in her life.

It might be stupid but this time had been close, _too_ close and the outcome could've been so very different.

She wiped her eyes trying not to think about it.

He was here, _safe_…

Cam started to stir and she cleared her throat trying to keep her emotions in check. She didn't think she'd ever felt so much anger and relief at the same time and when he finally opened his eyes she didn't know whether to slap or kiss him. 'Hey…'

Her voice was neutral, betraying nothing and Cam frowned slightly.

He could see she'd been crying and a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as he watched her carefully. 'Hey…You okay?'

She nodded, pulling her hand away and taking a deep breath. 'How are you feeling?'

'I've felt better….' He smiled lightly before narrowing his eye, 'What about you? Should you be up?'

'Doctor released me a few hours ago.' She subconsciously layed an arm across her stomach, 'Couple of bruised ribs but I'm fine…'

There was a brief pause and she absently rubbed her hand along the length of her thigh, '_Cam_…'

'I know what you're going to say…' He let out a sigh having worked out what the tone of her voice meant.

She was angry.

If he were honest he'd been expecting this conversation ever since he'd made the decision to leave his team behind, although that still hadn't helped him to prepare for it. 'It was the only way to make sure you guys made it back to the gate.'

'It was _stupid_. How do you think I would've felt if…' She paused, swallowing hard as she raised her head to the ceiling. The thought of losing him still caused her to choke up and she was frustrated that he didn't seem even the slightest bit sorry for his actions.

'Did you even _think _about the consequences?

'Of course I did.' He closed his eyes, deliberately keeping his voice low. He knew she was looking for an apology but he didn't regret his decision and if he had to make it again he would, in a heartbeat.

'Look Sam…' He reached forward taking her hand back into his own, hoping the gesture would mellow her anger.

'When I found you I thought…' He faltered slightly remembering how terrifying the moment had been, how lifeless her body had felt in his arms… 'I _can't_ lose you. I know I'm being selfish here... but I don't want to be the one waking up everyday knowing there was something I could've done.'

There was nothing but raw honest in his words and she found her fingers subconsciously tightening around his grip.

She wanted to tell him it was okay, that it didn't matter because they were both fine now but truth was they weren't… _she _wasn't. This same scenario could happen every time they stepped through the gate and while she wasn't prepared to let him go through alone knowing the danger he could get into… she didn't want to be the reason he was being put in danger either. They'd discussed the issue before first getting together but being a hypothetically situation it had been hard to gauge the impact it could have on their relationship.

Now, she only wished she'd been able to foresee the possible consequences more clearly back then, before they had gotten too close.

'I'm so sorry…'

'No, no, no, _no_.' He knew what was coming next and kept hold of her hand so she couldn't pull away, 'Come on Sam, this is us… we can fix this.'

She smiled weakly, trying to ignore the feeling of nausea rising in the pit of her stomach. Even as she spoke, the words grated against every instinct in her body. 'I just need some time…'

Cam's gaze softened as he searched her eyes. He could see they were filled with doubt but they were also silently pleading with him to understand and as painful as it was, he nodded his head slowly. '_Okay_…'

Her heart burned in her chest as she watched him try to conceal the hurt he was feeling. She could tell he wanted to fight till he was blue in the face but he wouldn't because even though she was effectively breaking up with him, he was still trying to protect her.

It was moments like this that she realized just how much she loved him and she pulled her hand away forcefully, feeling herself start to tear up. 'I have to go.'

'Sam. _Sam_ wait!' He called out, slumping back against the bed when she didn't stop.

It was ridiculous.

Less than a week ago they'd been joking about moving in together and now they were breaking up?

He lifted his head, giving a frustrated grunt as he dropped it back on his pillow. Deep down he knew this wasn't what she wanted and he just preyed that by giving her the time she needed, she'd come to the same conclusion.

* * *

Sam seated herself in the commissary, ignoring the way her ribs protested at the movement.

It had been nearly a week since she'd been cleared by the doctor but little rest and the strain of the past few days were all starting to take it's toll on her body. She was feeling run down and though she really ought to keep her strength up, the pancakes remained uneaten as she pushed them around the plate with her fork.

'Hey…'

She looked up as Daniel sat his tray down on the table, taking a seat opposite her. 'You look like hell, did you sleep at all last night?'

She smiled lightly, returning her gaze to the mess in front of her. 'Some…'

'Going to tell me what's wrong?' He raised an eyebrow, taking a bite from his toast.

It didn't take a genius to figure out something from their last mission was bothering her and if he had to hazard a guess he'd bet it had something to do with the fact they hadn't returned home as a whole team.

'Have you spoken to Cam yet?'

Her body tensed and he knew immediately he'd hit a soft spot.

'We _talked.._.' A sigh escaped as she let her fork fall to the side of her plate, 'Then we broke up.'

His toast paused halfway to his mouth. 'I'm sorry, _what_?'

Although he'd felt a subtle tension between them at the briefing and a few other encounters this week, there had been no indication that there was a problem between them. In fact if anything their actions had been overly friendly but certainly not forced. 'When?'

She shrugged her shoulders, twisting her fingers awkwardly in her lap. 'Just after he got back.'

Daniel dropped his toast and leant back in his chair, eyeing her carefully. If they'd broken up it was no wonder she looked so miserable but he just couldn't believe he hadn't noticed.

'You obviously didn't part on too bad a terms then?'

'We're friends Daniel.' She shifted her gaze, lowering her voice softly. 'Nothings going to change that.'

He frowned slightly in confusion. Clearly their feelings for each other were still there and he wondered what had prompted the sudden transition from lovers back to friends again.

'Can I ask why?'

Her head tilted to the side not really sure how to explain it, not sure she understood it herself. 'It's complicated.'

A small smirk appeared on his lips. Complicated was the story of his life...

'Try me.'

She picked up her fork again, fidgeting with the smooth metal. It was hardly a distraction but it at least created somewhere else for her gaze to be drawn to. 'I don't want to be the reason he winds up hurt, or worse. You know what he's like, you saw the way he reacted when…'

She faltered not wanting to go into the details. Although this was Daniel, she was still a very private person and discussing what she and Cam felt for each other was hard enough when it was just the two of them.

'So let me get this straight,' He held up his hands mentally accessing the situation, 'You broke up because you don't want to lose him… Isn't that a bit of a catch twenty-two?'

She shrugged her shoulders and he let out a sigh dropping his fingers back to the top of the table. 'Look Sam… risking our lives for each other, it's part of being a team and it doesn't matter if your not technically together… he cares about you so he's going to want to protect you either way.'

His eyes found her wandering gaze and he smiled gently. 'Besides this _is_ Cam we're talking about, doing stupid things is in his blood.'

She gave a half hearted laugh, nodding her head slowly. It was true he had a penchants for acting first and thinking later, it was one of the main reasons she didn't just transfer and be done with it. Because whether he realized or not, he needed protecting to.

Leaning forward she rubbed her temples trying to ease the tension building. 'I really screwed this up didn't I?'

He shook his head sympathetically. 'You can work it out, you just need to find him and talk to him.'

'Yeah…' She sighed, sliding her chair back hesitantly. 'Thanks Daniel. '

He frowned slightly when he noticed her wince as she stood up. 'Ribs still bothering you?'

She dropped her hand that lay protectively over the area, indicating it wasn't a big deal. 'It's nothing.'

He shot her a dubious look but eventually decided to let it drop. She was far too stubborn to actually admit if she were in any pain, so it would be more productive to just casually let it slip to the doctor next time he saw her.

'Let me know how it goes with Cam okay?'

She smiled slightly, genuinely appreciating the concern.

It was comforting to know that whatever happened she had his support.

Daniel picked up his cold slice of toast as she left, silently hoping she followed his advice. Although it hadn't initially been a turn he'd seen coming, his friends deserved a little happiness and he would be there if they needed a gentle shove… or forceful push, in the right direction.

* * *

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the lovely reviews! It makes me feel less guilty for posting chapters when i should be cleaning my house :P


	7. Chapter 7

Daniel walked into Sam's lab, stopping in surprise when he saw their team leader in her chair instead. It had been two days since their little chat and he was hoping to catch up and see if she'd taken his advice.

'Hey, Sam not here?'

Cam shook his head. He'd been waiting for nearly an hour expecting her to stop in a some point but so far she hadn't.

'She talk to you yet?' Daniel tried to sound as casual as possible as he moved further into the room. He didn't want to pry but he was curious as to why Cam was sitting in her lab alone.

'No.' Cam titled his head in confusion, 'Should she have?'

'Umm no...' Daniel coughed trying to shift focus from the potentially awkward conversation. It hadn't occurred to him until now but it seemed his friend was still currently unaware his secret was out in the open. 'I'll just come back later…'

'_Jackson_…'

He stopped in his tracks, turning back around sheepishly. 'Yeah?'

Cam eyed him suspiciously, folding his arms across his chest. It wasn't unusual for the anthropologist to be somewhat skittish but his gut instinct suggested that this time it was because he'd missed something. 'Okay, what's going on?'

'Nothing…' Daniel feigned a look of innocence, hoping the other man would buy it. 'She just said you guys had some stuff to work out.'

Cam let out a sigh as he stood up and leant against the side of the desk. He could see straight through the lie and he had a feeling her knew the real reason Daniel was in search of Sam. 'She told you, didn't she?'

He readjusted his glasses as he moved to sit in the seat Cam had now abandoned. 'Not _exactly_…'

'Man, I don't believe this…' He scrubbed a hand through his hair feeling frustrated. 'I want to move in and she's not ready… but _now_…'

Daniel shook his head cutting him off, 'It wasn't like that, I guessed and… _wait_, what?'

He mentally backpedaled trying to work out if his friend had just alluded to them living together. He'd gathered they were pretty serious but up until right now it hadn't really sunk in just how blind he'd been these last few months.

'Guess she didn't tell you that part...'

Cam smiled slightly trying not to feel embarrassed by the admission, surprised as some of the tension eased in his body. Daniel knowing was at least a step in the right direction and it was a huge relief no longer having to hide the truth from his friend. 'Don't spose she mentioned wanting to get back together?'

'It's not because she doesn't want…'

Daniel stopped, not sure how much information he should divulge. It wasn't really his place to be having this conversation for her but at the same time he felt a wave of empathy for the man standing in front of him. 'She's just scared she's going to lose you.'

'That's not going to happen.'

He said it with confidence but both men knew it wasn't a promise he could make.

'So this is where you've been hiding?' Vala popped her head in the door, narrowing her eyes suspiciously as Daniel forced a smile trying to hide the awkwardness.

'Not _anymore_…'

'Well…' She scoffed, trying her best to sound offended as she sauntered into the room. 'If you're looking for Sam she's not here.'

Cam glanced around, raising an eyebrow. 'Yeah, we kind of figured that one out on our own...'

'My aren't you two in a good mood.' She pushed herself up on the desk to sit between them shaking her head. Although she may be the only actual alien in the room, men as a whole she suspected were of another species entirely.

'_Vala_…' There was a hint of warning in Daniel's tone and she flipped her head back, rolling her eyes.

'Fine, she's in the infirmary but I don't think she'll be happy that I told you.'

'Why? What happened?' Cam's voice held a note of agitation as he bit back the urge to snap at her, annoyed she was only just sharing the information.

Vala frowned, wondering why he was getting so upset. When she'd run into Sam outside the infirmary, it hadn't looked serious but then she'd also been reluctant to answer too many questions. 'You know, she wouldn't say…'

He was moving before she could finish and she called out trying to reassure him, 'But I'm sure its nothing!'

Cam left and she glanced at Daniel as who in turn just shook his head.

'What?' Her brow furrowed in Confusion, 'I was trying to help...'

* * *

Cam scanned the infirmary, frowning slightly as his gaze found what he was looking for.

'_Sam_?'

She was sitting up on one of the beds still fully clothed and he crossed the distance between them, trying not to sound too concerned as he hovered at her side. 'You okay?'

She nodded a light smile appearing on her lips. He was cute when he was pretending not to worry and despite everything going on with them at the moment she found herself relaxing in his presence. 'Chest is a little sore still but that's all…'

He glanced down at his hand that was lingering just centimeters from her leg. Although cracked ribs didn't heal overnight, she should've been feeling some improvement by now and he knew it must be bad if she'd willingly returned to the infirmary.

'Cam, I'm fine…' She placed her fingers over his hand and he looked up surprised by the contact.

It should've felt awkward but the look in her eyes made it feel anything but… and he wondered what that meant.

'I want this to work…' She took a deep breath feeling relief flow through her at the admission. It was right, it felt right and she smiled fully this time hoping he wouldn't be mad that it had taken her this long to figure it out.

His mouth fell open but he promptly closed again, nodding in response. 'What's the catch?'

She shook her head, 'No catch… just that we make decisions together and we respect them.'

If there was any doubt about what she was saying it disappeared when she squeezed his hand, 'You better not be screwing with me Sam.'

She laughed as he sat down beside her on the bed.

She wanted to kiss him, just to doubly reassure him but although they were alone she knew the doctor would be back any minute. Cam however didn't seem perturbed by that fact and he reached across cupping her cheek. '_Thank you_.'

His lips found hers and she melted into the kiss, reluctantly pulling away after a few moments.

'You don't need to thank me.' She wanted this as much as he did and she was glad when he nodded his head slowly in understanding.

'_Okay Sam_…'

Cam snapped back as the doctor entered the room holding a bottle of pills. 'Take two in the morning, two before you go to bed and I don't know why I'm even bothering but will you please get some rest...'

Sam smiled sheepishly as she took the medication. '_Rest_. Got it.'

She slid off the bed as gently as possible and Carolyn followed behind the pair as they moved to the door. 'I'll let you know if the tests turn up anything but at this point I think it's safe to say you're just feeling a bit run down.'

Sam nodded subconsciously rubbing the spot where the doctor had taken her blood. 'Any chance you're going to let me go home?'

Carolyn considered it for a moment. If she let the women go home, at least she'd know for certain Sam wouldn't be sneaking back into her lab but she felt uneasy about making the decision without checking her blood work thoroughly first.

'Better stick around for a bit, just to be on the safe side.'

'Thanks Doc…' Cam smiled as he placed his hand on Sam's back, guiding her out the door before she could protest.

'So…?' She asked once they were out of hearing distance, 'You wanna grab some dinner?'

He took a moment to glance around the corridor making sure it was empty and then as gently as possible he slipped his arms around her waist. 'I _really_ don't want dinner…'

She breathed in his scent, forcing herself not to get distracted, '_Cam…_'

'Look, obviously we can't _you know…' _He dropped a kiss on the nape of her neck alluding to his point, 'But I just want to go somewhere I can hold you…'

'My quarters?' She suggested tugging on his arm. Although technically they'd only been broken up for a little over two weeks, it felt like a lot longer and she could relate to the need to be close to him.

The walk to her room was reasonably quick, and Cam once again scanned the hall before slipping in after her. He was silent as he watched her slowly ease herself onto the bed and he tried not to let his concern show when she winced slightly.

'You got those pills?'

She nodded, pulling the bottle out of her jacket and removing the cap. In two strides Cam was beside her and she swallowed the tablets as he climbed over her to the other side of the bed.

'Comfy?' He asked propping himself up to face her.

She could see the worry etched in his features and she snuggled closer ignoring the pain, to try and reassure him.

His hand instinctively settled on her stomach as he let out a content sigh, 'I missed this.'

She held his gaze unable to stop a wave of guilt from surfacing at the fact she'd been the one to break them up but instead of acknowledging it she just reached up and closed her fingers around his. '_Me too_…'

'So…' He tried to sound as casual as possible as he broached the subject, 'Daniel knows…'

She inwardly flinched as he brought up their friend. With everything that had happened lately she'd completely forgotten to mention that she'd told him. 'Oh my god, Cam I'm so sorry. We were on the planet and it just came out…'

'Hey it's okay.' He rubbed his thumb along her palm, effectively ceasing her ramble. 'Anyway, I was kind of taking it as a good thing...'

She raised an eyebrow at the suggestive tone his voice had suddenly taken. '_Really_?'

'Uh huh…'

His mouth pressed lightly against the soft fabric covering her shoulder and she closed her eyes as he kissed his way down her arm. 'And why's that?'

'Because now he knows, there's nothing stopping us from waking up every morning like this…' He rested his chin on her elbow, watching her carefully.

The last thing he wanted to do was rush her but moving in together was something he felt they were both ready for.

Sam turned her head, unable to keep the smile off her face for very long, 'Okay…'

He sat up surprised by her quick response, matching her grin. 'For real?'

She laughed at the fact he seemed so shocked and nodded, 'Yeah, lets live together.'

Unable to express his enthusiasm with words, he reached across and captured her lips in a gentle kiss.

It felt warm and safe and Sam found her eyes closing in response. She could tell the medication was staring to kick in because as he pulled away, she struggled to force her eyelids back open.

'You should sleep…' He nestled his head against her shoulder, letting the slow rhythmic pattern of her breathing lull him into a similar state.

He wanted to stay awake, simply content to watch her but he could feel her warmth seeping into his skin and it didn't take long before he too succumbed to the inviting darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

Cam rolled into his side, blinking in attempt to bring the fluoro numbers on Sam's alarm clock into focus. It was still only early and as the fog lifted from his brain he was surprised to find the space beside him empty.

'Sam?' He sat up squinting through the darkness.

It took a moment for his eyes to adjust but when they did he realized he was completely alone in the small room.

Stifling a yawn, he slid across the bed placing his feet firmly on the ground. If she wasn't here then there were only a handful of places she _would be_ at this time of the night and he tried not to feel panicked as he picked up the phone beside her bed, dialing the first number that came to mind.

'Infirmary, Holland's speaking.'

He recognized the voice on the line as Sarah Holland's, a nurse who was often checking in on him late at night after he'd sustained an injury off world. Figuring she must be part of the skeleton crew, he twisted the phone cord around his finger trying to sound as casual as possible. 'Yeah, Colonel Mitchell here… just wondering… Colonel Carter hasn't checked in has she?'

There was a brief pause then some rustling of paper before she answered. 'No Sir. Lieutenant Reid was the last person in at 1300 hours with a migraine.'

He nodded slowly giving his thanks before hanging up and automatically dialing the next number. To his dismay the connection to her lab rang out both times he tried.

With a frown he replaced the receiver in it's cradle and bent down, pulling on his shoes. He had no idea where she could of gone but he knew for a fact that he wouldn't be getting any sleep until he made sure she was okay.

Running a hand through his hair he stood up, striding across to the door and sneaking out as quietly as possible.

His first stop was the commissary, thinking that maybe she'd gone for coffee or a late night snack but when there was no sign of her there he continued on the gateroom, up through the control room and then out of desperation he tried her lab.

Still unable to locate her he decided to check with on of the SF's on duty, who offered him a hesitant smile. 'Can't sleep Sir?'

'Something like that…' Cam shoved his hands firmly in his pockets, 'You haven't seen Colonel Carter around have you?'

The younger man raised an eyebrow, nodding his head. 'Passed this way about an hour ago Sir.'

Cam mulled over the information thoughtfully. The only place in the direction he was referring to was the women's locker room and while it wasn't an obvious choice, it was probably one of the more logical locations he should've checked.

'Thanks…' He quickly glanced at the lieutenant's badge, '_Harrison_.'

'No problem Sir.'

Cam could tell he was curious and he turned on his heel preventing any further comment from the man. The last thing he wanted to do was fuel the rumor mill, especially when this time it was based on fact.

Reaching the door he knocked, shifting awkwardly as he waited for a response. When he didn't receive one he turned the handle and went inside.

'Sam?'

He tried not to flinch as he recognized the sound of someone being sick and he wasted no time, finding her moments later slumped over one of the porcelain bowls. He knelt down pulling her hair back, surprised by how warm she felt under his touch. 'Sam, baby what's wrong?'

She just shook her head reaching for the bowl as the movement caused her vision to swim. She'd already emptied the entire content of her stomach and she found herself unable to do anything but dry wretch.

'We need to get you to the infirmary.' He didn't bother trying to hide the concern in his voice as he watched her. People weren't just violently ill for no reason and in all honesty it was starting to scare him .

'_Christ_…' Sam took a deep breath, leaning heavily on her wrist as the heaving subsided. Her ribs were absolutely killing her and she couldn't remember ever feeling so sick…

'You think you can stand?'

His hand settled against the crook of her neck and she leant into his cool touch, letting her eyes drift shut. 'Mmmm…'

'Sam!'

The desperation in his voice snapped her back to reality and she fought the wave of nausea that rolled through her, forcing her eyes back open. 'Yeah…_okay_.'

Her entire body shook as he helped her up and it soon became clear she wasn't going to be able to stand, let alone walk by herself.

'Put your arms around my neck.'

She did as she was told and he searched her eyes questioningly, 'Ready?'

She nodded slightly and he lifted her up into his arms, trying to be as gentle as possible. 'Just relax, we'll be there soon.'

The walk to the infirmary was excruciatingly slow and every step only increased Cam's worry. There was nothing to account for the way she reacting. Even the pills were just pain killers he'd seen her take loads of times…

'_Sarah_…' He entered through the doors immediately spotting the female nurse and she turned around, hearing her name.

Her eyes widened as her gaze fell on the women in his arms and she ushered him over to a bed pulling out her stethoscope. Placing the metal end against Sam's chest as he laid her down she was concerned by the rapid beat pulsating in her ears. 'What happened?'

He shook his head, not sure how to respond. When they'd gone to bed she'd been fine and he had no idea what had transpired between then and now to make her so sick.

Sarah sensed he didn't have an answer and slung the stethoscope over her neck, 'Stay here, I'll page Doctor Lam.'

He watched her leave, surprised when he felt Sam's clammy fingers curl around his hand. He could see she was struggling to stay awake and he bent down, brushing the damp hair from her forehead. 'How you doing?'

Her glassy eyes shone with confusion and he smiled reassuringly, 'It's gonna be okay…'

'Doctor Lam's coming.' Sarah rushed back into the room, holding a small square gadget in her hand. 'Colonel, I'm going to need to take your temperature.'

Sam nodded meekly as the nurse stuck the object in her ear. After a few moments it beeped and the women pulled it out frowning as she read the numbers. '_Damn_.'

She dropped the thermometer on the trolley beside her moving closer to the bed. 'Have you been feeling sick before now? Any flu like symptoms?'

Sam's eyes widened slightly as she tried to focus on the question but all her energy was being spent trying not to throw up again. Cam could see she was having difficulties and offered the answer for her, 'She was having trouble with her ribs but that was all…'

'Colonel…' She spoke slowly so Sam could follow her, 'I'm going to start an I.V line, okay?'

Her eyelids fluttered in response and Cam squeezed her shoulder softly before following the nurse out of the room.

'Sarah…' He stood hesitantly beside her as she gathered the things she needed, 'What's going on?'

She paused letting out a sigh. 'At this stage I'd say a virus but it's hitting her fast so maybe something she contracted off world.'

Cam just shook his head, 'She hasn't left earth in weeks.'

'Yes but we've encountered alien virus's that can lay dormant for months. Look, I know you're worried….' She brushed his arm lightly, 'But for the moment it's all just speculation, first I need to worry about getting her stable.'

He stepped aside so she could move past him and turned to follow her back in to the room. They were both relieved to see the doctor entering at the same time.

'What happened?' Carolyn met them at the bed, throwing a concerned glance over Sam's condition.

'She came in about ten minutes ago,' Sarah started setting up the I.V line as she explained, 'Since then she's been disorientated and her fevers peeking at 106.'

'I ordered some blood work yesterday, wake up Doctor Camberlon see if you can get a rush on the results.'

Sarah nodded, letting the doctor take over so she could leave. Carolyn turned to Cam as she inserted the needle in Sam's arm, 'You found her like this?'

He nodded, 'Yeah, she was throwing up in the women's locker room.'

'Was she dizzy at all?' She pulled a pen from her pocket, shining it in Sam's eyes before taking her pulse.

Scratching the side of his face, he tried to remember if she'd mentioned it.

'I don't think she said…. but she couldn't walk she was shaking so much.' He swallowed watching the women who was now unconscious and completely oblivious to his concern. 'Is there something… I mean can I do anything?'

She shook her head sympathetically. 'The best thing right now is for you to get some rest. I'll call you when we know something.'

He didn't want to leave but he knew the request was out of courteously and if she needed to, she would pull rank and make it an order. With one last wistful glance towards Sam he shuffled out of the infirmary trying to keep his nerves in check.

He didn't know what was going on, he certainly didn't understand it but for now all he could do was wait and hope the test results turned something up.


	9. Chapter 9

Cam paced the length of Sam's lab ignoring the inquisitive looks from his team members. They still had no news on Sam's condition and the waiting was driving him crazy.

'_Cam_…' Daniel's eyes followed him as he moved passed the desk for what felt like the fiftieth time. 'She's gonna be okay.'

He stopped walking and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, 'You don't know that. We don't even know what's wrong with her.'

'Carolyn will find something.'

'And if she doesn't?' Cam held his gaze before letting out a defeated sigh. He was losing it and while that may have been okay if it were just him and Daniel, there were still two other members of their team in the room that weren't aware of he and Sam's current relationship.

'I'm sorry, you know patience isn't my thing.'

Teal'c raised an eyebrow, intrigued by their leaders odd behavior. 'Perhaps a beverage would calm your nerves Colonel Mitchell.'

'Thanks Teal'c that would be great.'

The alien tilted his head towards Vala and she frowned, figuring she was missing something when Daniel offered her a similar look.

'I'll ah… help you carry.'

She jumped off the desk, assuming she'd done the right thing when she received a small smile from the man next to her. Once they got out of hearing distance she fully intended quizzing the Jaffa warrior on the matter, despite the fact it would probably do little good.

'_Damn_.' Cam sunk down in the chair opposite Daniel realizing he needed to be more careful.

If Vala got wind of their relationship then it wouldn't be long before the whole base knew…

'Just try and relax okay?' Daniel raised an eyebrow, feeling a wave of empathy for the man. He was worried about Sam too but he didn't have the added strain of trying to balance the complicated emotions that came with being in a relationship.

'Have you talked to her since…' He motioned with his hands and Cam didn't have to ask what he was referring to.

'Yeah we talked, sorted everything out… and then _this_ happened.'

His dropped his elbows against the table just as the phone rang and for a moment neither man moved.

'You want me to answer?'

Cam shook his head at the offer and with a deep breath leant across picking up the receiver, '_Mitchell_...'

Daniel watched him trying to gauge the conversation by his friends reactions. Most of the responses were fairly standard but the next words caught his attention.

'How much do you need?' Cam paused, waiting for an answer and then nodded. 'I'll talk to Landry.'

Daniel frowned as the phone was placed back in it's cradle with an audible click. 'Need what? Is she okay?'

He didn't answer instead moving at a steady pace towards the door and Daniel quickly jumped up to follow him.

'_Wait_…What's going on?' He placed a hand on his friends arm as he caught up and Cam slowed down in order to fill him in as they walked.

'It's a virus. Carolyn thinks there might have been something in the water Sam swallowed when…' He faltered as the horrific memory of needing to perform CPR filled his head but quickly shook the image from his mind. 'They need to run more tests which means they need more samples from the planet.'

'What about the samples Sam brought back?' They'd been lucky to get out of there alive last time and Daniel figured if they could avoid the trip through the gate it would be in everyone's best interest.

'No good.' Cam shook his head recalling what the Doctor had told him over the phone. 'Carolyn said the bacteria couldn't survive after so long out of it's larger environment.'

'This doesn't make any sense...' Daniel struggled to piece everything together in his head as they kept moving, 'It's been two weeks since we were off world, she was fine.'

'No she wasn't.'

Cam sighed mentally kicking himself for not picking the signs earlier. 'Her ribs weren't getting any better, she was tired all the time… she was just too stubborn to get it checked out.'

'Well she's _really_ not going to like this…'

Cam chose to ignore the comment and also the unease that settled in the pit of his stomach. There was no way she'd willing agree to him going back to the planet, not after last time but if he had to choose between keeping her happy and keeping her alive then the answer was obvious.

He only hoped the decision wouldn't mean ultimately sacrificing their relationship.


	10. Chapter 10

Cam's gaze lingered from the doorway on Sam's still form. The doctor had warned him she'd been drifting in and out of consciousness and when she finally started to stir he plucked up the courage to enter the room fully.

Pulling a chair up beside her bed, he sat down balancing carefully on the edge. '_Hey_…how are you feeling?"

She cracked a small smile wiping the sweat from her forehead. 'Been better…'

'Yeah…' He blew out a slow breath, glancing nervously at his hands. 'Has Carolyn spoken to you yet?'

She nodded slightly, letting the amusement slip from her features. In her opinion going back to the planet should be a last resort but she knew she would have problems convincing him of that.

'You need to give the antibiotics time to…'

'_Sam.._.' He looked up, stopping her before she could finish.

Although the drugs were helping they both knew she wasn't responding to them as well as could be expected and the sooner they found a more permanent solution the better.

'Landry's already approved the mission…'

It was his way of saying he was going with or without her consent and she closed her eyes, swallowing the nausea that bubbled in her throat.

_'Just_, not yet... okay?'

He wanted to argue, tell her she was being stubborn and that if he decided to leave right now she really couldn't stop him… but he forced the words back down not wanting to start an argument. If he could get her to concede to the mission willingly then that would be one small mercy he'd be grateful for.

'Twenty-four hours, that's it…'

Sam bit her lower lip, fighting the urge to throw up again.

She was relieved he was going to wait and just prayed the medication would start to take effect soon. '_Thank you_…'

He ignored the sudden flare of anger that rose with her words.

She shouldn't be thanking him for siting around doing nothing, she should be letting him help.

Threading a hand through his hair he took another deep breath ignoring the instinct to throw something. He was frustrated but deep down he knew the feelings stemmed from fear. She looked like hell, her face was barely a shade above the sheets and the shallow sound of her breathing sent shivers down his spine.

He hated seeing her like this and it scared the hell out of him.

'You should sleep.' He forced a smile, shifting back into the chair. If he couldn't do anything proactive at least he could stay and make sure she didn't get any worse.

Sam closed her eyes, letting the wave of exhaustion wash over her. Despite the pain there was an ease to falling asleep that came with his presence and it was only increased by the fact she knew he was safe and not risking his life off world.

It was comforting and she found herself mumbling through her sleep induced haze.

'…ove you…'

His heart swelled as the words unintentionally slipped out and the smallest of smiles spread across his face as he leant forward. 'Love you too Sam.'

She didn't respond and he settled his elbow against his knee, resting his head against his hand.

If they left now chances were he'd be back before she even woke up but no matter how much he tried to convince himself it was worth the risk, he couldn't bring himself to abuse her trust like that. He promised her twenty-four hours, so he would wait.

'Ahh, Daniel wants to know if you're ready?'

Vala's voice sounded from the doorway and his head snapped up to meet her gaze. 'Tell him we're going to hold off for a bit.'

She frowned in confusion and he stood up moving so her questions wouldn't wake Sam.

'_Look_… I don't like it either but she wants to give the antibiotics a chance.'

Vala glanced at the unconscious women unable to believe what she was hearing, 'You can't seriously tell me we're just going to sit around and do nothing?'

'That's exactly what I'm saying.'

It was obvious he was hesitant, so she tried swaying his decision. 'Couldn't you just, I dunno… not tell her?'

'Vala…'

There was a warning in his tone that she didn't quite understand. Out of everyone on their team he was the least likely to be inactive about a situation, especially one so serious and it only added to her suspicions about his recently odd behavior.

'Okay I'll drop it, but I want to know what's going on.'

He tried to feign innocence but with everything going on he simply didn't have the energy to pull it off.

'Nothing, it's just… it's _nothing_.'

She didn't buy it for a second and turned on her heel shrugging her shoulders, 'Fine. I'll just go ask Daniel, I'm sure he'll have a…'

'_Wait_…' He grabbed her arm preventing her from leaving. 'You have to swear not a word... _to_ _anyone_.'

She made a zipping motion across her lips and he pulled her to the other side of the room to give them some more privacy. 'Sam and I... we've sort of been seeing each other…'

Vala rolled her eyes slipping her hands on her waist, 'Well I _knew_ that…'

His eyes widened slightly surprised by the admission. 'What?'

'I'm not blind, I know sexual tension when I see it. I've been trying to convince Daniel for months…' She trailed off looking offended as he tried to grapple with the information.

'So you've known this whole time?'

She nodded as if it were obvious. 'What I want to know _now_, is why you're sitting around here when you could be off world finding a cure.'

He was still miffed by the fact she'd been aware of their relationship but he let it slide as the conversation headed in a direction he really wanted to avoid. 'It's complicated.'

'She thinks you're too over protective and you're trying to prove you can make decisions without being emotionally involved?'

His mouth fell open to deny it but he found he couldn't, she was right...

'Okay, so maybe not _that_ complicated….'

She let out a sigh, frustrated by the logic he was using. If he wanted to prove that nothing would change because of their relationship then it had backfired because if it were her or Daniel in Sam's situation he'd already be on his way back from the planet.

He was still treating her differently but in a way that just happened to be the lesser evil of two extremities.

'Fine, if you want to take the risk then I'll tell Daniel to wait…'

She raised an eyebrow and Cam glanced hesitantly at Sam. She would be furious if he broke his promise but then none of that would really matter if the antibiotics didn't work.

With a heavy sigh he turned back to Vala having made up his mind, 'Tell Daniel I'll be ready in twenty.'

She nodded, relieved by the answer. 'We'll meet you in the gateroom.'

'_Yeah_…'

As she left he couldn't shake the feeling he was making a terrible mistake. It might of just been his guilt fueling his fear but trust was something he valued highly in a relationship. If she couldn't forgive him then…

He shook the thought from his mind.

If she couldn't forgive him then at least she would be alive and right now that was the only reassurance he needed.


	11. Chapter 11

Cam instinctively rolled as he was thrown out of the wormhole, barrelling into his team members at the base of the ramp. The mission had gone off without a hitch right up until they'd started to head back. With their position made, it had been a fire fight back to the gate just scrapping through as a firebomb exploded behind them.

Pushing himself up, Cam unclipped his pack and handed it to the waiting medic as General Landry moved to stand in front of him.

'Got the samples Sir, there should be more than enough to…'

He choked on the words, making eye contact with his commanding officer.

There was a look of pity etched in the older man's features and Cam felt his chest tighten as he swallowed hard trying not to assume the worst. '_What happened_?'

The general flexed his shoulders in response to the question. It had been touch and go for nearly an hour and while he'd prepared the speech in his mind, the one he'd sadly had to give more than once... he was relieved he didn't have to deliver it to the team gathered before him.

'She's all right son, the antibiotics stopped working but she's a fighter and hanging in there.'

The burning in his chest didn't ease with the news and Cam found his feet moving of their own accord towards the door. He knew he wouldn't feel content until he could see for himself she was okay and he wasn't surprised when Daniel fell into step beside him a moment later.

'They're going to figure this out.'

Cam raked a hand through his hair angry with himself for waiting so long to get the samples.

'We should've gone sooner, I should have… ' His mind filled with regrets as he trailed off.

If they didn't find a cure in time, he would never forgive himself...

Daniel kept his mouth shut as he followed beside his friend. At this point he recognized that nothing he could say would make any difference and so they walked the rest of the way in silence, the tension only escalating as they entered the infirmary.

'_Sarah_?' Cam called out to the young nurse checking over Sam.

It was clear her condition had deteriorated due to the various machines she'd been hooked up to in his absence and he tried to pay attention as the women began speaking.

'Doctor Lam's already begun running tests on the samples you brought back, it shouldn't be too much longer...' She smiled sympathetically as Cam moved beside the bed, keeping quiet as Daniel subtly pulled her aside.

'How's she doing, _really_?'

Sarah resisted the urge to look away as his eyes searched hers for the truth. Carolyn had warned her that she was dealing with a close knit team and she only wished she could offer him better news.

'Not good. Her vitals are weak, her fever's back up and she stopped breathing on her own about half an hour ago…'

Daniel nodded slowly, absorbing the information. He wasn't a doctor but he knew their only chance would be finding something in the water to combat the illness he just didn't know how long that might take.

'How much time do we have?'

She shook her head indicating they didn't have long. Although she couldn't say for certain, time definitely wasn't on their side.

'Maybe a day… at most.'

Cam closed his eyes listening to the hushed conversation going on behind him. It wasn't intentional but every word caused a sharp pain to shoot through his heart and he clenched his fists trying to draw away from the ache. It was simply inconceivable that while he was ready to spend the rest of his life with this women, the doctor couldn't promise anything more than a few hours.

The notion caused a wave of panic to hit him and he let his breath fall in time with the respirator trying to calm down. He needed to stay in control, stay positive and he forced his eyes back open regaining some composure.

Carolyn had the samples she needed, there was still a chance....

With a another deep breath he uncurled his fingers and let them settle on the pale hand in front of him.

'Hang in there Sam…'

Her brow momentarily creased at the sound of his voice, causing the pain in his chest to ease slightly. She wouldn't give up on him, not as long as she knew he was here waiting.

'_Hey_...' Daniel appeared beside him offering a hesitant smile, 'You want a coffee?'

Cam nodded his head appreciatively, 'Yeah that'd be good.'

Daniel forced his gaze away from the couple as he moved towards the door. They deserved some privacy and as it was, it was far too heart breaking watching his best friends in such pain.

Stepping out into the hall he lifted up his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose.

After everything they'd been through, all the luck they'd accrued over the years… sometimes he found it hard to put into perspective the seriousness of certain situations. It was easy to take for granted all the close calls they'd escaped assuming they could cheat fate time and time again but unfortunately that wasn't always the case.

_Sometimes they lost people._

Sha're, Janet, Jacob, Elizabeth and countless others… their deaths were all unexpected and they all hit hard.

He couldn't imagine adding Sam to that list and he just prayed he would get to take their luck for granted one more time.

'_Daniel_…'

Instantly recognising the voice he stopped and turned letting a warn smile appear on his face.

'_Jack_…'

There was moments hesitation between both men before Daniel broke the silence, motioning down the corridor. 'I was just going for a coffee…'

'Sounds good.' Jack fell into step beside him, casting an unsure glance back at the infirmary.

He didn't want to leave but there was a part of him that felt like he was intruding. Sam was his friend but it was no longer his place to watch over her, seeing her with Mitchell had well and truly rammed that fact home.

'So, it's good to see you.' Daniel once again broke into the awkwardness with genuine sincerity in his voice, 'You haven't been around much lately…'

Jack casually shrugged his shoulders not really sure how to respond.

Truth was he found it hard being around the familiar surroundings. He didn't regret taking the job in Washington, not by a long shot. He was getting too old to be gallivanting off world and while commanding the SGC had been a nice change of pace, ultimately it had been too hard watching his team operate without him.

'Paperwork.' He offered the excuse, shoving his hands firmly in his pockets. 'They figured out I was getting it redirected, now there's a back log .'

'_Right_…' Daniel didn't doubt for a second he was telling the truth but figured there was probably a little more to it.

'I thought maybe it had something to do with…' He stopped abruptly, realizing Jack probably wasn't aware of the change in his fromer team but as usual the older man surprised him.

'It's okay Daniel, _I_ _know_…'

'You do?'

He probably should have seen it coming but it still alluded him how Jack could know when he wasn't even around anymore, 'When did you…'

'Saw them at the presidents dinner, figured it out.'

'Oh…' Daniel frowned slightly wondering how it was possible that everyone had seemed to put it together except himself, then another thought occurred to him. 'Are you… I mean, are you okay with it?'

'_Sure_.'

He recognized the curt Jack Oneill statement as a deflection tactic and wisely decided to drop the subject. They were all under a lot of stress at the moment and he knew his friend didn't like to talk about his feelings at the best of times.

'So…' He started again, leading the conversation in a new direction, 'How long are you sticking around for?'

Jack averted his eye's knowing Daniel wasn't going to be happy with his answer. He hadn't even planned on making his presense known to his former team mate but after seeing Sam he'd needed something comforting, something familiar.

'Actually I'm due back in Washington tomorrow morning.'

'Tommorow?' His eyebrows shot up at the information, 'You can't be serious, what about…'

'_Daniel..._' Jack held up his hand, signalling he wasn't going to argue the matter. Lam would find a cure and Sam would be fine, they didn't need him hanging around.

Daniel sucked in a deep breath, calming his anger. Denial coupled with stubbornness were two of his former leaders worst traits and it seemed they hadn't changed any in his absence.

'Jack, she needs you here.'

He shook his head, pushing on the door to the commissary as they arrived. 'What she needs is to wake up without any extra stress and complications. Trust me, it's for the best.'

Despite his growing frustration Daniel could see what his friend was trying to do and maybe in some twisted way, it was the right thing... They were friends but they also shared a history which clearly they were both moving on from.

With a heavy heart he conceeded, understanding his friends desire to keep the situation as simple as possible. 'I'll give you a call when we know something…'

Jack nodded his thanks as they moved to get their drinks.

He wasn't one to over share but in actual fact he had another reason for wanting to get back. Although he was here with her blessing, his on again off again relationship with Kerry Johnston was something he really wanted to make work this time round.

Something he was confident Sam would understand.

They were both searching for happiness and though it might be a far cry from what they'd imagined a few years ago, it was what they both deserved.

Pouring the warm liquid into his mug, he paused slightly.

She had to be okay. Deep down he knew if anything happened to her; the women he'd cared for more than he was supposed too, moving on would be something he wouldn't have the strength to do.

'Jack?' Daniel stood questioningly, two cups of steaming coffee in his hands and the General nodded towards the door.

'You go, i'll just be a minute...'

Daniel suspected his was lying but still followed the request. It had taken many years of hardship to come to the realization that unless his friend came to him first, no amount of prodding or coercing would persuade him to talk and with that in mind he started back to infirmary.

No doubt Cam would be in a similar way but he was determined to make sure the one women who could fix this mess, had all the support she needed to pull through.


	12. Chapter 12

Cam fought to keep his eyes open, straining against the dim light in the infirmary. It was late and he was tired but despite reassurance from the doctor that Sam was reacting well to the antibodies they'd found in the samples of water, he was still too on edge to sleep.

It had taken them nearly five hours and countless tests to find something even remotely close to a cure, one which Carolyn had only given a thirty percent chance of working. After that it had been a waiting game and for two pain stakingly slow hours, Sam had been continually monitored until finally she'd started breathing on her own again.

Overall the ordeal had been exhausting and even though her vitals were stable and he'd been reluctantly convinced she wasn't showing any signs of relapsing… he still didn't feel settled enough to relax.

Her fever was still up and through the darkness he could see a thin sheen of perspiration across her brow.

Reaching across he dampened a towel in the bowl of water Sarah had left beside the bed. Carolyn hadn't wanted to risk administrating any drugs from earth incase they reacted adversely to the antibodies in Sam's system so she'd suggested using the old fashioned way to bring down a fever.

Wringing out the excess water, he placed the cloth against her forehead surprised when she flinched away from the contact.

'Sam?' He hesitated slightly before dabbing her skin again, nearly falling off his chair when her voice croaked softly.

'_Don't_… cold….'

For the first time in what felt like days he smiled, finally letting the relief he'd been keeping at a distance wash over him. Just hearing her voice felt like such a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he reluctantly set the towel back in the bowl of water.

'How are you feeling?'

She peeled her eyes open slowly, blinking against the fog that clouded her brain. _'Tired_…'

'You should go back to sleep.' He reached out, letting his thumb graze across the back of her hand. 'I'll be here when you wake up.'

Her fingers closed loosely around his in response and he stifled a yawn. It wasn't the most comfortable of positions, propped up against the bedside table but her knew with absolute certainty there wasn't anywhere else he'd rather be.

The steady pattern of her breathing alerted him to the fact she'd already fallen back asleep and he found his own eyelids growing heavy. There was still doubt in his mind about what she would say when she was feeling but for now he was just glad she was alive.

* * *

Cam jolted awake, cursing as his elbow collided with the table he was half sleeping on. '_Damnit_...'

He rubbed the spot gently unaware Sam was awake until she spoke softly beside him.

'I was wondering when you were going to wake up.'

Ignoring the fleeting pain, his eyes widened as his brain caught up. 'Sam? How are you feeling?'

'Better…' She offered a small smile trying to reassure him. She was still tired and her body ached but compared to what she had been feeling it was definitely an improvement. 'What about you? You look exhausted.'

He lowered his head letting out a low chuckle. 'It's been a tough couple of days…'

She sunk down into the pillows acknowledging the words. Although she'd been unconscious for most of it, there was a part she remembered clearly. The part where she had specifically asked him to wait before returning to the planet.

She didn't know for certain but a gut feeling told her he hadn't followed the request.

'You didn't wait didn't you?'

He sighed, edging back into his chair. He'd been hoping to have a little more time before she brought up the subject.

'Sam look I…' He faltered, trying to choose his words carefully.

A strong part of him wanted apologize and beg for forgiveness but he couldn't bring himself to do it. If they hadn't brought back the samples, she wouldn't be here talking to him right now.

'I'm sorry I broke my promise but I don't regret doing it. If it had been anyone else I would've done the same and…'

'_Cam_.' She reached out to grasp his hand, smiling at the confusion written over his face. 'You're right, we're a team. Risking our lives for each other is what we do. I'm the one who should be sorry for putting you through so much.'

His mouth hung open slightly as he tried to digest what she was saying. Out of all the ways he'd imagined having this conversation, this was a scenario he hadn't even considered. It was in fact so surreal he had to fight the urge to pinch himself.

'Cam?' Her brow furrowed as he shook his head, forcing himself out of the stupor.

'I'm sorry I just…'

'Expected me to be angry?' Her words were laced with guilt at having caused him even more worry and she squeezed his fingers gently.

'When I woke up this morning, it hit me how close I'd come to…' She swallowed, still finding it hard to come to terms with the fact she'd nearly died. 'I just don't want to waste anymore time.'

His mouth finally closed, forming a smile as he brought her hand up to his lips. 'I couldn't agree more.'

Sam rolled onto her side ignoring the twinge in her ribs so she could face him. His eyes were so warm and inviting it made her insides melt and she found herself settling into the comfortable silence. _This_, right here...was all she needed and she blinked several times trying to fight the sudden sleepiness taking a hold of her.

'You should rest.' He let go of her hand, pulling the blanket over her exposed shoulder. Now he finally felt at ease, the thought of some breakfast and a warm shower was definitely something he could do with.

Bending down he kissed her softly, wishing she was well enough to go with him. 'I'll be back soon.'

'You better be…' Her voice was light as she snuggled further down into the bed, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he exited the room. It would take time to regain her strength but the sooner she healed, the sooner they could begin the rest of their life together and that was all the incentive she needed...


	13. Epilogue

'That's it T…' Cam slapped his team mate on the back as the large alien warrior placed the last of the heavy boxes on Sam's floor.

Standing up, he merely raised an eyebrow at the man. 'Are there not people of your world who would perform this service in return for payment Colonel Mitchell.'

'There sure are Teal'c but Cam's a tight arse…' Daniel peered over his glasses as he entered the room and Cam placed his hands over his hips defensively.

'Hey, I bought the beer!'

Vala overheard the last of his words as she and Sam walked in from the other side of the lounge and made a beeline straight for the fridge. 'Beer, now _that_ is an idea…'

A smile tugged at Cam's lips as everyone gathered in what was now partly _his_ kitchen.

Despite spending the last few days packing and moving he was still finding it hard to believe it was actually happening and the fact their friends knew and were helping just made the whole situation that much more surreal.

'I think we're gonna need a bigger house…' Sam cast a glance over the boxes cluttering up the floor as she handed him a beer. 'Either that or we have a really big yard sale.'

'Nah… we can find room without having to sell your stuff.'

Cam's grin widened as she slapped him playfully on the arm and he resisted the urge to fight back, knowing where it would undoubtedly lead. Not that it would be a bad thing but probably not all that appropriate considering they had company.

'So, pizza?' He raised an eyebrow, leading the group back into the lounge and plonking down on the couch.

'I called last time...' Sam sat beside him, trying not to appear phased as his arm snaked around her. Although their new found freedom had come as a huge relief she was still finding it awkward acting as a couple in front of everyone.

It seemed though, that their friends had already adjusted because no one so much as battered an eyelid too focused on the task of getting food.

'I'll do it!' Vala went for the phone but Daniel reacted quickly, snatching it out of the cradle before she could reach it.

'Last time you called, it was twenty minutes before you even started ordering.'

'Well how was I to know there'd be so many choices…' She huffed as he began dialing the number, slumping down on the arm rest of the recliner Teal'c had settled in. 'You're on my side right muscles?'

He cocked his head slightly and after a moment of silence decided it was in his best interest to agree with her. 'I believe you to be overly competent at ordering sustenance.'

Grinning broadly she poked her tongue out at Daniel who waved his hand dismissively as someone picked up on the end of the line. 'Ah, hello… yes, I'd like to get…'

Sam took a sip of beer as Daniel rattled of their order, enjoying the content atmosphere.

With the system lords gone and the threat of the Ori dealt with, they could finally relax knowing that at least for the minute the galaxy was relatively safe. She doubted it would last though, which was why she intended to savour every moment until their next big encounter.

'You okay?'

Cam jostled her arm and she responded by snuggling further into his chest, 'Yeah, just thinking…'

'Now, there's a surprise.' He scoffed unable to resist the smart quip and nearly joked on his beer when she elbowed him in the ribs sharply.

A smile spread across her face as she watched him wipe the liquid that had spluttered all down his shirt. 'That'll learn you.'

'Really?' He lent forward placing his bottle on the table and shifted so he was facing her, 'You think I learn my lessons that easily?'

'Cam…' Her voice held a tone of warning as she caught the evil glint in his eye and she held up her beer pointedly, 'If you spill this, you're first night is going to be spent sleeping on it.'

He smirked, as if the answer was obvious. 'You better put it down then.'

Vala and Teal'c both watched in amusement as Sam hesitated, squaring off with the man beside her. Then in one swift movement her beer was on the table and she was leaping over the couch Cam in close pursuit behind her.

Daniel replaced the phone in it's cradle as his two friends ran past and shook his head as they disappeared into the kitchen. The contrast between them whilst at work and then at home was amazing and in his mind it only cemented their level of professionalism.

It might be cheesy but he was glad to be a part of what they'd found and as he noticed the look on his other team mates faces, he suspected they felt the same.

'Anyone for a movie?'

He landed on the now vacant couch shifting over as Vala bounced on the empty space beside him, 'How about Star Wars?'

'_Teal'c!_' Daniel shot him a look of frustration which only grew when the Jaffa appeared to smirk at him.

'I do not know to what you are referring Daniel Jackson.'

With a sigh he pushed himself up to go search through Sam's dvd collection, resigning himself to the fact he was _once again_ going to have to sit through the tedious Star Wars epidemic.

**

'Cam stop it, stop…' Sam squealed as he hoisted her up onto the bench and placed her hands over his shoulders to steady herself. 'Okay fine, you win.'

'Really? You sure?' He raised an eyebrow smirking, 'Cause I could go another round.'

'Shut up.' She slapped his arm before leaning across to kiss him and for a moment they both forgot about their friends in the other room. At least until Cam heard the beginning of Star Wars start to roll.

Groaning he pulled away, flinching at the sound. 'We are not watching that again.'

'Well if you hadn't accosted me...' Her smile broadened as his head slumped against her shoulder.

'Couldn't we just… sneak up stairs, skip the movie?'

'Nu uh.' She jumped off the counter, taking his hand. 'Consider this payment for making Teal'c carry all those boxes.'

With a reluctant sigh he followed her back into the lounge deciding it was probably best to refrain from commenting. He was a man and he would take his punishment accordingly or at least wait for the really _really_ boring parts to complain.

Laying down on the floor, he reached behind him as Daniel offered him two pillows and draped his arm over Sam as they got comfortable. For once it was nice to have something as simple as a bad movie being the worst of his problems and his grip tightened around the women beside him.

Sam caught his eye and smiled, before returning her attention back to the movie. Despite the fact she'd been working in the Stargate program for over ten years now, she had a feeling this was just the beginning...

* * *

Ad finem!

Thanks to everyone who left reviews and wonderful comments! :D


End file.
